maxim



(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 1, H. S. MAXIM.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS POR HARDENING URDNANCE. No. 446,532.

Patented Peb. 17,1891.

(N0 MOdeL) 5 Sheet's-She'et 2.

H. s. MAXIM. PROCESS 0F AND APPARATUS POR HARDENING ORDNANGE.

No. 446.532. Patented Feb. 17.18911.

MMS' Qfml..

nie Nonms Firms co., pHoro-mnu., wAsnmccm. n. c.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 I-I. S. MAXIM. PROCESS OP AND APPARATUS PORHARDENING ORDNANCE. 110.446,532. Patented Feb. 17,1891

'ma News Parras co., Num-urna., wAsHmsTuN, u. c.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

H. s. MAMA/1.., I PROCESS 0F AND APPARATUS FOR HARDENING ORDNANGE.

110.446,532. Patented Feb. 17,1891.

me nomme wetens co., Pumumo., wnsulunou, nA c.

Uniti-rien tirantes Fnrnntr Vierten.

HIRAM STEVENS MAXM, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

PROCSS OF AND APPARATUS FOR HARDENING @RDN/ANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 446,532, dated February17, 1891.

Application filed June 17,1889. Serial No. 814,654. (No model.) Patentedin England September 20, 1888, No. 13,6243 in France February 13, 1889,No. 195,070 y in Belgium February 15, 1889, No. 84,785; inAustria-Hungary March 20, 1889, No. 4,996; in Spain April 1, 1889, No.9,142; in Italy April 28, 1889, No. 24,799, and in Germany September 7,1889,1T0.48,50G.

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, HIRAM S'rnvnNs MAXIM, mechanical engineer, a citizenof the l'nited States of America, residing at London, Eng land, haveinvented certain new and useful Improve ments Relating to the Temperingand 'loughcning of Ordnance and to Apparatus therefor, of which thefollowing is a specilication, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings,

This invention I have patented in Great Britain, No.18,624, datedSeptember 20, 1888; in France February 18, 1889, No. 195.070; in BelgiumFebruary 15, 1889, No. 84,785; in Germany September 7, 1889, No. 48,506;in Italy April 28, 1889, No. 24,799; in Austria- Hungary March 20, 1889,No. 4,996, and in Spain April 1, 1889, No. 9,142.

My invention relates to the tempering and toughening of ordnance and toapparatus therefor, and is designed to provide for imparting greathardness to the interior surface or bore of a gun, while greatlytoughening the mass of metal around the bore.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown how my said invention maybecon' veniently and advantageously carried into practice.

Figure 1 is a vertical central section of a furnace constructedaccording to my said invention, showing also a gun suspended in positionin the said furnace ready for being hardened and tempered or toughenedby my improved process. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the said furnace.Fig. 8 is a vertical central section on the line a: or, Fig. 1, drawn toan enlarged scale. Fi g. 4 is a horizontal section on the line y y, Fig.8, the turninggear hereinafter described being shown in dotted lines.Fig. 5 is a section on the line .fr no', Fig. 8, some of the parts beingshown in side elevation. Fig. 6 is a vertical central section of anaccumulator used with this apparatus. Fig. 7 is a view in elevation ofthe upper portion of Fig. 2 on an enlarged scale. Fig. 8 is a verticalcentral section of a cooler or condenser hereinafter described.

A is the furnace, which is constructed in lengths or sections A',arranged one above another on a metal base or foundation At.

The said furnace is made with an outer casing of iron or other suitablemetal and with a lining of tire-bricks or other refractory material,ashes or other non-conducting substances being introduced between thesaid casing` and lining. Any desired number of lengths or sections A maybe removed from or added to the furnace to alter the height of thesaine. 'lhe said furnace is thus adapted for operating upon guns ofdifferent lengths. The said sections A are secured together by boltspassing through lugs A2, formed on the exterior of each section, or inany other convenient manner. A door AE s provided for each section,which door occupies the entire height of the said section. These doorsare arranged to open alternately in either direction. r1`he whole of oneside of the furnace may thus be thrown open to permit the insertion andwithdrawal of the gun.

A4 Al are the firebars.

A5 is the ash-pit.

A is a cover or casing for protecting the mechanism, hereinafterdescribed, and preventing the falling of ashes thereon.

The sections A are provided with studs or projections A7, which ntbetween guides composed of angle-irons A8, firmly attached to verticalpillars or columns A. One of these angle-irons is cut away at suitableintervalsV to facilitate the introduction of the said sec tions intotheir places one above another.

B indicates the gun'barrel to be operated upon, which is suspended orsupported in an upright or vertical position in the furnace with thebreech downward in such a mann er that it can be rotated while subjectedto heat in the furnace. In the arrangement shown in the drawings the gunis supported at its u pper end by a traveling crab fui, Fig. 7,. and atits lower end by a ball-bearing, as hereinafter described-that is tosay, the muzzle end of the barrel B 'is screwed into a socket B", whichis screwed into a tube B2. This tube is formed with a neck or recessnear its upper end, into which tit the two parts of a clip or cross-barB3, the said parts being firmly secured by bolts or otherwise in such amanner `as to support the tube B'Z while permitting rotation of the samewithin the said clip or crossbar.

IOO

rlhe said clip or cross-bar is suspended by chains B'l from anothercross-bar B5, connected by means of a shackle B6 to a chain attached toand wound upon the drum or chain-barrel of an ordinary crab lagar-rangedto run upon rails B7, suitablysupported by means of girders BS on thevertical pillars or columns A9. By means of the said traveling crab thegunbarrel may be conveniently supported and deposited within the furnaceor removed therefrom. The ends of the cross-bar or clip B3 engage withone of the guide-bars or angleirons A8, so that rotation of the saidcross-bar or clip with the gun is prevented. A series or set of socketsl5 is provided for fitting gun-barrels of different sizes.

To provide for the rotation of the barrel while subjected to heat in thefurnace, the said barrel is screwed at its lower end upon a hollowvertical spindle C, 'fixed in a hollow turn-table D. This turn-table isformed with an extension D', which is fitted in a socket or base E,mounted upon girders E', and which forms the central pivot of theturn-table. The said turn-table is, moreover, supported upon the saidbase E by means of a ring` of balls E2 or other rollers. The turntable Dhas fixed thereon a worm-wheel D2, with which is geared a worm F, fixedupon a shaft F', arranged to be driven by a steamengine or othersuitable motor. A series or set of spindles C is provided for fittinggunbarrels of different sizes.

By rotating the barrel while it is subjected to heat in the furnace Iinsure the equal or uniform heating of the said barrel on all sidesthereof, thus etfectually preventing warping or twisting of the same inthe tempering thereof.

G is a pipe for the introduction of the oil or other cooling` medium, ashereinafter described. 'lhis pipe extends through a stuffing-box G' inthe lower end of the extension D' of the turn-table D. A pipe Il isprovided at the upper end of the furnace A for the passage of the oil toa cooler or condenser, hereinafter described. This pipe extends througha stuffing-box II' in the upper end of the tube B2, and is provided witha collar Il?, fitting within the said tube, so that the said pipe, whilesecurely retained in the tube l?, is capable of sliding longitudinallyin the said tube and in its stuiiing-box lil', thus forming a telescopicjoint. The pipe Il is, moreover, provided with a cross-head IIS, throughwhich are passed two long screwbolts H4, coupled or pivoted to the clipor cross-bar B3 and provided with nuts Il, whereby the said pipe may beraised or lowered and may be firmly secured in any desired position. Thesaid pipe II is connected by a bent pipe .I with a branch K' of avertical pipe K, communicating with the condenser or cooler hereinafterdescribed. This vertical pipe K is provided with any desired number ofbranches K' at intervals corresponding with the length ofthe sections A'of the furnace, so that the pipe .I may be connected with one or otherof the said branches, according to thelength of the barrel to betempered. The branches which are not for the time being in use areclosed by blank anges. By raising or lowering the pipe Il in the tube B2the pipe J can be adjusted so that its Iflange accurately coincides withthat of the adjacent branch K' of the pipe K.

'lo provide for the rapid or sudden and forcible introduction of the oilor other cooling medium into the barrel, I employ a tank or accumulatorL, Fig. 6, constructed of boiler-plat-ing or other suitable material andsupported on suitable standards L. This tank or accumulator is connectedby the pipe G with the turn-table D for supporting the gunbarrel in thefurnace A. It is, moreover, connected by an inlet or' feed pipe M withaforcepump for the purposes hereinafter specified. The pipe G is providedwith a branch pipe G2 for draining or drawing olf the oil from theaccumulator L when necessary.

N is a safety-valve applied tothe inlet-pipe M for the purpose ofpreventing excessive pressure in the accumulator. The said safety-valveis provided with an overow-pipe N', which conducts the oil back to thecooler or condenser hereinafter described, from which the saidforce-pump draws its supply.

O O are glass gages for showing the high and low levels of the oil inthe accumulator. P is a pressure-gage.

In Fig. 7, Q, is a cooler1 or condenser, which is supported on standardsQ', and is constructed with numerous small tubes Q2, fixed intube-plates Q3. The said tube-plates divide the coolerinto threecompartments, communication being established between the two endcompartments by means of the said tubes Q2. nected with the pipe K forth-e return of the oil from the gun-barrel, and the lower compartment isconnected by a pipe R with the suction side of the aforesaid pump, sothat a complete circuit is formed through the pump, the accumulator, thegun barrel, and the cooler. The heated oil or other medium which hasbeen employed in cooling the gunbarrel will return by the pipe K, and,entering the upper compartment of the cooler, will pass through thetubes Q2 into the lower compartment thereof, which serves as thesuction-well of the pump. In passing through the said tubes the oil iscooled by contact with the interior surface thereof, the said tubesbeing kept cool by water, which is caused to circulate around the saidtubes in the middle compartment of the cooler. The said cooling-waterenters the cooler through the inlet-pipe Q4 and flows therefrom throughthe outlet-pipe To prevent oxidation of the interior surface or bore ofthe barrel during the heating of the same and to form a hard skin orsurface thereon, I introduce hydrocarbon gas or vapor into the saidbarrel and cause it to passv The upper compartment is con-4 IOO lIO

furnace, a pipe extending through a stu [lingbox in the saidturutablefor the supply of the cooling medium to the bore of the gun, a tubeadapted to be secured at its lower end to the upper end of the gun, anda pipe extending through a stuffing-box at the upper` end of the saidtube for the discharge of the cooling medium, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

4. The combination, with the furnace, of au accumulator for containingthe cooling medium and compressed air for forcing the same through thebore ot the gun, a hollow turntable provided with a hollow verticalspindle for supporting the gun in the said furnace, a pipe connectedwith the said tank or accu mulator and extending through a stuffing-boxin the said turn-table, a tube adapted to be secured at its lower end tothe upperend of the gun, and a pipe extending through a stutiingbox atthe upper end of the said tube for the discharge of the cooling medium,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination, with the furnace, of au accumulator for containingthe cooling inedium and compressed air for forcing the sanne through thebore ofthe gun, a pump connected with the said accumulator for maintaining the flow of the cooling medium through the gun, a hollow turn-tableprovided with a hollow vertical spindle for supporting the gun in thesaid furnace, a pipe connected with the said tank or accumulator andextending through a stuffing-box in the said turn-table, a tube adaptedto be secured at its lower end to the upper end of the gun, and a pipeextending through a stuffing-box at. the upper end of the said tube forthe discharge of the cooling medium,substantially as and for thepurposes set forth. A

6. The combination, with the furnace, of an accumulator for containingthe cooling medium and compressed air for forcing the same through thebore of the gun, a pump connected with the said accumulator formaintaining the flow of the cooling medium through the gun, a hollowturn-table provided with a hollow vertical spindle for supporting thegun in the said furnace, a pipe connected with the said tank oraccumulator and extending through a stufng-box in the said turn-table, atube adapted to be secured at its lower end to the upper end of the gun,and a pipe extending through a stuffing-box at the upper end of the saidtube for the discharge of the cooling medium, and an apparatus forcooling the liquid after its passage through the barrel, substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

7. The combination of the furnace composed of easily-detachable sectionsA A, arranged one above another and provided with doors A3, the hollowturn-table D, provided with the hollow verticalspindle C, for supportinga gun in the said furnace, the pipe G, eX- tending through astuffing-box in the said turn-table for the introduction of the coolingmedium into the bore of the gun, the socket B', adapted to be secured tothe upper end of the gun, the tube B2, attached to the Asaid socket, thepipe H, extending lthrough a stuffing-box at the upper end of the saidtube for the discharge of the cooling medium, a pipe K, provided withbranches K', at distances apart corresponding to the length of thesections of the furnaces, and the pipe J, for connecting the pipe IIwit-h one or other of the said branches K', substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

l-IIRAM STEVENS MAXIM. Ttnessesz ALBT. G. WEAVER, GEO. BARNETT.

